Key Parliamentarians Oppose Road Closures, Warn of Public Backlash
A significant internal division has surfaced within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leadership regarding the party’s strategy for a nationwide protest planned for February 8. The discord centers on opposition from key members of the provincial parliamentary party to proposed road closures and a lockdown, citing severe public inconvenience.
The protest, announced by the opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-Pakistan (TTAP), is slated for the second anniversary of the 2024 general elections, which PTI has consistently labeled as “rigged.” The alliance has declared the day a countrywide shutdown strike, calling it a decisive moment in the struggle for constitutional rights.
Heated Meeting Exposes Strategic Fault Lines
According to sources privy to the discussions, the rift became apparent during a PTI KP parliamentary party meeting held to finalize the protest strategy. Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Shahid Khattak reportedly led the opposition to disruptive tactics, arguing that the people of KP had already given the party a mandate.
Khattak cautioned that imposing a lockdown and blocking roads would directly harm the public and create significant political difficulties for the party in the province. His stance was supported by fellow MNA Atif Khan during the meeting.
Leadership Under Pressure
The meeting reportedly grew tense when PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar expressed frustration over the conflicting pressures facing the leadership. “Whom are we supposed to appease? First Aleema Khan, then the workers, and now you…. Whom should we convince?” Akbar was quoted as saying to Khattak, highlighting the internal challenges.
In a conversation with Geo News, MNA Shahid Khattak confirmed the discussion, stating he had warned that a lockdown would cause undue hardship for ordinary citizens. He also suggested compiling a list of party members who did not participate in earlier protests outside Adiala jail, indicating further internal accountability measures.
The TTAP, in a declaration last month, reiterated its allegations of a violated public mandate and large-scale vote theft in the 2024 elections, setting the stage for the upcoming protest. How the PTI’s KP chapter navigates this internal dissent will be crucial for the unity and public reception of the February 8 action.
